Device for applying metallic leaf



Jan. 5- 1,522,516

L.M.HARWOOD DEVTCE FOR APPLYING METALLIC LEAF Filed Feb; 25, 1924INVENTOQ ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES LEON M. HABWOOD, OF SPRINGFTELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR- ARPLYING METALLIC LEAF.

Application filed February 25, 1924. Serial No. 894,986.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON M. HAnwooD, a citizen of the UnitedStates,'residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of hlassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices forApplying Metallic Leaf, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for applying metallicleaf, such as gold leaf and the like.

The invention, while capable of general application, is particularlysuitable for applying gold leaf and the like to glass. According to thepractice, heretofore prevailing in this art, the leaf has been used inbook form and the operator first manually cuts, from a leaf in the book,a piece of the desired size and shape, after which the cut piece istransferred from the book to the prepared surface of the glass wlth theaid of a tip brush, usually first electrified by rubbing it through theoperators hair.

The general object of this invention is to provide a device whereby themetallic leaf may be withdrawn from the package and transferred to theglass in a convenient and expeditious manner and in a manner calculatedto avoid injury to, and undue waste of, the leaf.

In carrying out my invention I make use of the so-called roll package ofmetallic leaf. That is, the leaf, preferably although not necessarily,is arranged in separated sections upon a suitable supporting strip,which usually consists of tissue paper or the like, and the strip, withthe sections of metallic leaf thereon, is wound into roll form.

According to my invention, I provide means for supporting such a packageand guiding devices over which a length of the supporting strip may bewithdrawn. The invention contemplates an arrangement wehereby a lengthof the supporting strip may be drawn out, and preferably held undertension, and means whereby the operator may conveniently hold such drawnout portion in closely adjacent relation to the glass, which, ifsuitably pre pared. is moist and causes the leaf to jump from thesupporting strip to the glass. The characteristic feature of theinvention consists in an arrangement whereby the position of themetallic leaf section on the supporting strip may be observed throughthe supporting strip, in order to enable the operator to properly locatethe leaf relatively to the glass before its transfer.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following descriptionand in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a deviceembodying my invention; and

'Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken at right angles and showing thedevice in the same way in which it would be viewed by the operatorduring the operation of applying a section of the leaf to a glass.

Referring to these drawings; the device embodies a suitable frame,herein shown as a side bar 5, and suitable means whereby the frame, andother parts carried thereby, may be convenientlyheld by an operator. Asshown, a handle 6, fixed to frame'5, is provided for this purpose.

Also fixed to frame 5, and on the opposite side from handle 6, is a stud7 which functions as a means for rotatably supporting a roll package 8of metallic leaf. This stud is made long enough to receive packages ofvarious widths. In the case illustrated, a narrow package is used and aspacer 9, loose on stud 7, is provided between the package 8 and a nut10 which is threaded on the outer end of the stud. By preference,suitable tensioning means are provided to create a drag upon therotation of package 8 and, as herein exemplified, two plates 11 are usedfor this purpose, one on each sideof the package and contiguous therewith. These plates are received on stud 7 and, by turning up 'nut 10,they may be pressed against opposite side faces of the package withsuflicient pressure to create the desired drag.

The package 8, as above set forth, includes a supporting strip 12,usually tissue paper or the like, on which the metallic leaf is placed,the whole being then wound into the roll form shown. By preference, Iprovide the leaf in sections 13 which are disposed in longitudinallyseparated relation in the supporting strip 12. This arrangement avoidscutting of the leaf but it is within the province of the invention toprovide a continuous metallic leaf and cut it on the supporting stripaccording to requirements.

The end of the supporting strip passes from the roll 8 over a guide 14and thence in B") ill) to a guide 15, these guides ;-being 'both mountedon frame 5 and projecting therefrom in the same direction as stud 7 andin parallel relation therewith. The guides 14: and 15 may be constructedin any suitable manner and, as shown, the guide 14 consists of a rubberroll rotatable on a stud 16 fixed to frame 5 and the guide 15 consistsof a rubber sleeve applied around two pins 17 fixed to frame 5.Cooperating with guide 15 is any suitable tensioning device, hereinshown as a rubber sleeve 18, yieldingly held against guide 15 in anysuitable way, as by an elastic band 19, which encompasses the guide 15and extends through the interior of sleeve 18, the latter being slit at20 to permit this arrangement.

The supporting strip 12 is passed between ,members 15 and 18 and thesemembers cooperate to grip it and yieldingly hold it in any position towhich it may be drawn. The devices 11 create a drag tending to resistmovement of roll 8. Consequently as the free end of strip 12 is pulledto unwind a length of the supporting strip, the latter, or at least thatportion between the guides 14: and 15, is tensioned. The operator pullsout the strip 12 until the metallic leaf section 13 is observed betweenthe guides 14 and 15. He then holds the device, as by handle 6 orotherwise, in closely adjacent relation to the glass to which the leafis to be applied. Then, if the glass is moistened or prepared to receivethe leaf, the section 13 will be attracted to the glass andautomatically transferred from the supporting strip 12.

The important feature of the arrangement described is that there isnothing to prevent the operator observing through the supporting strip12 the position of the metallic leaf on the opposite side thereof. Thesimplest way of obtaining this result, but not necessarily the only way,is by the use of a leleton frame, such as above described, whereby noparts overlie that portion of the strip disposed betweenguides l4 and15.

The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at presentpreferred, for

illustrative purposes but the scope of the invention is defined by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

7 hat I claim is r 1. A hand operated device for applying metallic leafcomprising, a frame provided with means for supporting a package roll ofmetallic leaf, and guiding means for directing the supporting strip andthe leaf thereon, as it is withdrawn from the roll, said guiding meansincluding two spaced members so arranged with respect to said frame thatthe position of the leaf between frame that the position of the leafbetween. the two members may be determined from i the opposite face ofthe strip from that which supports the metallic leaf and the leaf may bedeposited from the face of the supporting strip between the two members,

and means for tensioning the supporting strip across the guiding means.

3. A hand operated tool for applying metallic leaf, comprising, a sideframe, a member projecting therefrom to support a package roll ofmetallic leaf, two spaced parallel members projecting from said frame inthe same direction as the first named member and over which thesupporting strip may be drawn leaving a portion of the strip exposedbetween the two last named members and through which portion theposition of the leaf may be observed prior to depositing of the leaf.

4. A hand operated device for applying metallic leaf comprising, a frameprovided with means for supporting a package roll of metallic leaf, andadapted tobe supported in proximity tothe surface on which the leaf isto be deposited, guiding means for directing a portion of the supportingstrip of the package roll so that the leaf carried by one side of thestrip may be positioned adjacent said surface, said guiding means beingso arranged that the position v of the leaf on said portion of the stripmay be observed through the strip, and .means to tension said portion ofthe supporting strip.

5. A hand operated tool for metallic leaf, comprising, a frame providedwith means for supporting a package roll of metallic leaf, and meanscarried by said frame whereby a length of the supporting strip as it iswithdrawn from the roll may H be stretched taut between two spacedpoints with the leaf exposed on one face of the strip for transfer tothe surface to be gilded and the position of the leaf on the stripapplying 7 visible through the strip from the opposite v face thereof.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

LEON M. HAR-VVOOD.

